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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · stick · branch · band · press · spell · sharp · pop

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pop — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. pop — to visit
  5. band — a music group
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — clever
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. pop — soda
  17. fall — to drop
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — a short time
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com